Baseball game board



May 26, 1925. 1,539,610

R. B. TRACY I BASEBALL GAME BOARD L Filed June 11, 1921 2 Sheets-$heet l i 1771736717667 060113 E Tracy,

Patented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE.

ROBERT BENEDICT TRACY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BASEBALL GAMIE BOARD.

Application filed June 11, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ronna'r B. TRACY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Baseball (lame Board, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a game board for playing a game that simulates the base ball game as normally played in the fields with persons as players, to be used as a parlor game, the contestants controlling the ball by their fingers and the devices of the board itself.

The object of the invention is to produce an efficient and interesting board device that will simulate as near as possible the regular game played in the field.

The invention is set forth in the claims.

Reference will be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the board. Figures 2 and 3 are detailed elevations of the automatic striking mechanisms for the ball. Figure 4 is a front elevation of one of the basemen figures and Figure 5 is a side elevation of the figure shown in Figure 4. Figure 6 is a sectional view showing the device which represents the bases and the base runner or man on the base. Figure 7 is' a plan of the board in diagram, showing the movements of the ball. Figure 8 is a similar View to that of Figure 7 showing other movements of the ball. Figure 9 is a similar view to that of Figures 7 and 8 showing other movements of the ball in playing the game.

1 indicates the base board of the device which is rather a stiff and even board of what is termed the lap board size, sufficient to accommodate players sitting in chairs and supporting this board in their laps or upon a table around which the players may be seated. This board has a marginal rim, wall or fence 2 sufliciently high to keep within its confines the small marble or diminutive ball that is used in playing which represents the ordinary base ball of the regular game. This ball is indicated by 3 in Figures 7, S and 9.

The devices which represent the bases are composed of little metal plates at which are provided with a series of small hinged figure pieces 5 which are hinged into the plate 4; and the latter imbedded into the board 1 and secured therein. Normally these figure pieces 5 lie fiat within the surface of the 1 1 and the third baseman 15.

Serial No. 476,912.

plate 4 and the normal surface of the board 1 but when a man is to be indicated as being on base the figure piece 5 is lifted direct in accordance with the position of the dotted line shown in Figure 6.

6 is a figure of a man indicating a baseman and is composed of a fiat blade having angle base pieces 7 which are secured by little studs 8 into holes in the surface of the board 1. An extra set of holes as indicated by 9 are provided to shift the position of this baseman figure 6 as may be desired.

This same figure (3 is indicated for the right, fielder by 19 and the second baseman 11, short stop 12, center fielder 13, left fielder The pitcher is indicated by simply a plate on the board indicated by 16. As the catcher is a feature not provided for in this game no catcher is indicated.

The location of the home plate is indicated by 17 and a striking device is provided in the form of a spring actuated lever 18 mounted on a hinge screw 19 and actuated by a spring 20 which is secured to the base board by a screw 21. The striking surface of this lever 18 is indicated by 22. This lever is held in ready engagement for service by means of a locking lever 23 provided I l with notches 24 which engage the section 22 of the lever 18. This lever 23 is hinged at 41 to a stud 25 secured by rivets 2G to the board 1. This locking lever 23 is held in position of engagement with the lever 18 through the medium of the spring 27 mounted on the stud 28 secured in the board 1. The outer end 29 of the lever 23 is pushed down by the fingers or thumb of the operator in the function of striking the ball and this releases the lever 18 and allows it to swing over and strike the ball as will be understood from Figures 7 to 9 inclusive. The competitive player flips the ball from the pitchers box 16 by means ofthe fingers or any suitable discharging means and the competitive player at the time the ball is set in motion is in contact with the end 29 of the lever 23 and is expected to release the lever 18 at the right moment to engage the ball as it approaches the home plate as it is discharged by the competitive player performing the function of the pitcher. The character of the strike produced by the lever 18 when released by the player is the feature of the contest between the competitivc players. The person acting in the place of the pitcher who flips the ball from the pitchers box corresponds to the one team and the person actuating the lever 23 to release the lever 18 in the function of hitting the ball acts as the other team in playing the game.

In Figure 7 the dotted line 30 indicates the path that the ball is intended 'to take after the flip of the player whose finger tip the player who corresponds to the batter or the one who operates the striking device as indicated by the finger end 32, a one base hit. At the completion of this stroke or performance the hinged figure piece 5 of the first base is lifted up to the position of the-dotted lines shown in Figure 6, indicating that a man is on first base. In Figure 8 the dotted line 30 is also used to indicate the path that the ball is indicated to take and a dotted line 35 in dicates the path that the ball is intended to pass on one type of hit indicated by this figure, the striking mechanism being actuated as before described.

' tended to count as a two base hit which would credit the movement of the man previously indicated as bein on first base up to a position on the thirc base and would also credit the striker with whatv might be termed the new striker up to a position of second base. Thus at the completion of the stroke as indicated by the line 35 the figures 5 would be lifted on second and'third base and the one on first base would be returned to its normal position of repose within the surface of the board.

In Figure 9 the path of the ball is again indicated 'bythe'dotted-line 30 as it leaves from the pitchers box to the striking mech ,anism and the final passage of theball is indicated in one instance as a third base hit as indicated by the dotted line 36. The result of such a hit would cause credit to be given for the two players that were supposed to be at the second and third base to complete runs and to the battervwho was supposed to have made a three base hit, a position on third base. Thus the figures 5 on first and second base would be turned down and the figure on third'base toremain in an upright position and the position of these base figures 5 is so indicated in Figure 9.

A-dotted line'37 in Figure 8 indicates a hit that might pass directly over third base which would be considered a one base hit,

and the figure 5 on the first base would be lifted in accordance therewith. A hit like this one indicated by 37 is intended to carry with it the idea that the ball has hit the base runner and carry with it the penalty of putting out that player and this same situation of having the ball pass directly over the base when there is a man occupying that base would carry with it the same results of putting him out but if there was no man on the base, or in other words, if figure 5'was down instead of in an upward position, it would count'only as to the character of the hit indicated by the'terms givingthe character of the hits as marked on the margin of the board.

The dotted line 38 shown in Figure 9 indicates a hit which would be termed a foul and foul hits would always be consideredto take place when the ball passed out-side of the lines 39 "and 10 on the board. The coachers box of the two different sides are indicated by 42 and 43. V

The operator who is supposed to pitch the ball as indicated by the finger tip 31 is treated b the results of his pitching in the matter 0 strikes and balls, depending upon the travel of the ball towards-the home plate. Balls are counted when the pitcher fails to deliver the ball in proper position for a strike on the board for the lever 18 in the same manner as might be the case in the regular field game when the ball is delivered by the pitcher in proper position for a strike and the operator who actuates the lever 23 fails to properly time the hitting of the lever 18, then strikes are called in the same manner as might be done with the regular game.

When the ball is delivered into the upper left hand corner indicated by the term Home run it must pass throughthe aperture 34 of the center fielder figure 13 and would count as a home run in the same manner as such an incident might count'in the regular game.

VV-hen the ball hits any one of the figures 6 directly as shown by the positions 6 and 10 to 15 inclusive corresponding to the base and field men, this is counted as the batter out which together with the other means previously described for men out, completes the features of out of the game.

In the event that there is a man on base and the ball should hit one of the base figures 6 and rebound in a manner to hit another base figure '6,it would be counted as the batter out and the base runner out. If the ball were to rebound and hit two of the base figures and there were two men indicated as being on bases, then the batter would be out and the two other men likewise would be out. The players may arrange rules for playing this game 'to suit their own convenience, varying the situations and plays somewhat from what I have described, the construction of my apparatus being such that it permits of a simulation of the regular game with simple, efficient and entertaining devices easily operated and readily understood.

Figures 6 are cheaply made, being punched out of flat metal and secured to the board by angle pieces on the base of the body of the figure as indicated by 7.

The base figures are likewise cheaply made, being of the cheapest construction practicable, cut out of flat metal.

The lever 18 with its end 22 provides a batting device for the ball which simulates substantially the actual stroke of the person of a batter. As a means of tripping this lever to be operated by the spring permits the contestant to exercise an almost instantaneous movement because of the release by the finger end 32 as described.

lVhat I claim is 1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a board simulating a baseball field, suitable markings along the margins of said board, a player simulating figure hinged at each base for raising from horizontal to vertical position, a striking lever pivoted to said board at one side of a simulated home plate, a tension spring for actuating said striking lever to sweep over said plate, a manually releasable latch for holding said striking lever-in opposition to said spring and a plurality of lever engaging means on said latch.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a baseball field simulating member,marginalmarkings radiating from a home plate, a movable player simulating figure at each base indicating by its position a free or occupied base, a series of figures simulating field men of a team 0pposing those at the bases, each simulated fielder having an aperture for permitting a rolling ball to pass said figure, a striking member pivotally mounted at one side of the home plate, and actuated by a spring to swing horizontally over said home plate, and a manually releasable latch for holding in a selected one of a plurality of positions said striking member in opposition to said spring.

Signed at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 7th day of June, 1921.

ROBERT BENEDICT TRACY.

lVitnesses:

B. J. BERNHARD, F. M. ZOBEL. 

